¤$†*=..... .....=*†$¤
$†*=...... ......=*†$
†*=....... .......=*†
$†*=...... ......=*†$
¤$†*=..... .....=*†$¤
#¤$†*=.... #...========...# ....=*†$¤#
##¤$†*=... ####.== FERMI'S PARADOX ==.#### ...=*†$¤##
###¤$†*=.. #...========...# ..=*†$¤###
##¤$†*=... ...=*†$¤##
#¤$†*=.... ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A ....=*†$¤#
¤$†*=..... LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES .....=*†$¤
$†*=...... OR BALCONIES, WE HAVE BUILT LARGE ......=*†$
†*=....... ANTENNAS FOR LARGER BANDWITH, WE HAVE .......=*†
$†*=...... BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR ......=*†$
¤$†*=..... SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM .....=*†$¤
#¤$†*=.... INTO ORBIT), WE'VE BUILT LARGE AS FUCK ....=*†$¤#
##¤$†*=... ANTENNA ARRAYS ...=*†$¤##
###¤$†*=.. WE'VE VIRTUALLY BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A ..=*†$¤###
##¤$†*=... DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH. ...=*†$¤##
#¤$†*=.... ....=*†$¤#
¤$†*=..... WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT OUR POSITION IN THE .....=*†$¤
$†*=...... SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS ......=*†$
†*=....... PLACEMENT IN THE GALAXY, AND OUR .......=*†
$†*=...... GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE LOCAL CLUSTER, ......=*†$
¤$†*=..... AND =OUR= LOCAL CLUSTERS PLACE IN THE .....=*†$¤
#¤$†*=.... GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS ....=*†$¤#
##¤$†*=... ...=*†$¤##
###¤$†*=.. AND WE'RE MOVING AROUND THE SUN AT ..=*†$¤###
##¤$†*=... VELOCITY AND THE SUNS MOVING AROUND THE ...=*†$¤##
#¤$†*=.... CENTER OF THE GALAXY AT VELOCITY AND ....=*†$¤#
¤$†*=..... THE GALAXY IS MOVING TOWARD ANDROMEDA .....=*†$¤
$†*=...... AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE ......=*†$
†*=....... AROUND THE GALAXY. AND WE AS A SPECIES .......=*†
$†*=...... HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT ......=*†$
¤$†*=..... .....=*†$¤
#¤$†*=.... AND DESPITE ALL THIS, DESPITE ALL OUR ....=*†$¤#
##¤$†*=... (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR ...=*†$¤##
###¤$†*=.. RADIO PROGRAMMES OUT IN FUCKING SPACE ..=*†$¤###
##¤$†*=... AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT (LIGHT IS OUR ...=*†$¤##
#¤$†*=.... MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!), ....=*†$¤#
¤$†*=..... DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE .....=*†$¤
$†*=...... COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS ......=*†$
†*=....... FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS .......=*†
$†*=...... BEAMING OF ALL OUR SECRETS IN EVERY ......=*†$
¤$†*=..... DIRECTION KNOWN TO US, .....=*†$¤
#¤$†*=.... ....=*†$¤#
##¤$†*=... NO . ONE . HAS . ANSWERED ...=*†$¤##
###¤$†*=.. ..=*†$¤###
##¤$†*=... #...========...# ...=*†$¤##
#¤$†*=.... ####.== FERMI'S PARADOX ==.#### ....=*†$¤#
¤$†*=..... #...========...# .....=*†$¤
$†*=...... ......=*†$
†*=....... SO WHY IS THAT? .......=*†
$†*=...... ......=*†$
¤$†*=..... MOST OPPONENTS TO INTELLIGENT LIFE IN .....=*†$¤
#¤$†*=.... THE UNIVERSE SAY IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED ....=*†$¤#
##¤$†*=... A CLASS ONE-OR-THE-OTHER STAR AND THE ...=*†$¤##
###¤$†*=.. PLANET NEEDS TO BE AT A SEE-AND-SO ..=*†$¤###
##¤$†*=... DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE STAR (LIKE THERE ...=*†$¤##
#¤$†*=.... HAS TO BE A PLANET!) ....=*†$¤#
¤$†*=..... .....=*†$¤
$†*=...... BUT REALLY ISN'T THAT KEEPING THE ......=*†$
†*=....... DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX? .......=*†
$†*=...... ......=*†$
¤$†*=..... I THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO .....=*†$¤
#¤$†*=.... IDEA WHAT WE'RE DOING (AND IT PROBABLY ....=*†$¤#
##¤$†*=... SHOWS) ...=*†$¤##
###¤$†*=.. ..=*†$¤###
##¤$†*=... #...========...# ...=*†$¤##
#¤$†*=.... ####.== FERMI'S PARADOX ==.#### ....=*†$¤#
¤$†*=..... #...========...# .....=*†$¤
$†*=...... ......=*†$
†*=....... I'M GONNA GO SMOKE MY THIRD CIGARETTE .......=*†
$†*=...... THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS ......=*†$
¤$†*=..... FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING .....=*†$¤
#¤$†*=.... ....=*†$¤#
##¤$†*=... ...=*†$¤##
###¤$†*=.. ..=*†$¤###
##¤$†*=... ...=*†$¤##
#¤$†*=.... ....=*†$¤#